Epstein an appetizing option

Long ago, Paul Epstein came to realize a dichotomy that he was reminded of again Monday afternoon. That is, the thing that most unsettles his twin brother Theo -- publicity -- is good for Paul's business, which is raising money for charitable causes.

Consider: On Dec. 1, the Home for Little Wanderers, a nonprofit agency supported by Theo and Paul Epstein, launched on its website a unique holiday auction item: lunch with the former Red Sox general manager. Epstein had abandoned his post with the club one month earlier, and the initial bids came in slowly, with two that first day, at $150 and $155. The bidding climbed to $590 on Dec. 2, $610 on Dec. 3, $630 on Dec. 5, and $650 on Dec. 8.

And that seemed to be it, with no bids entered Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Two bids came in Monday, raising the bar slightly, to $690. And then, at 12:36 p.m. Monday, the Sox announced there would be a 3:30 p.m. press conference to announce a reorganization within the baseball operations department.

In less than two hours, 21 bids rolled in, upping the ante to $3,200. Epstein did not rejoin the club at that press conference. Instead, Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington were named co-GMs. But team CEO/president Larry Lucchino more than left the door open for Epstein to return, saying, ''We'd love to see it happen." By the end of the day, the auction -- which has been extended until Monday at noon at www.thehome.org -- had reached $4,100.

''I'm glad the way things are shaking down, that Theo may be continuing in some capacity," Paul Epstein said yesterday. ''That would make the fund-raising easier."

Theo and Paul launched the Foundation to Be Named Later in partnership with the Red Sox Foundation last summer. Paul said the Foundation to Be Named Later recently made its first complete round of gifts, donating $200,000 to eight organizations. Most of that money was raised during the ''Hot Stove, Cool Music" event at Fenway in July. When deciding on beneficiaries, Paul said he and Theo targeted agencies that work with kids within the city.

When asked how much he had hoped the lunch with his brother would fetch, Paul said, ''Definitely not this much.

''Who would pay that much money to have lunch with Theo? He's not that good company."

Rest for Lajoie

Bill Lajoie, who acted as de facto GM during the winter meetings, acknowledged last night that he contracted pneumonia about 10 days ago and has returned home to Florida to rest and visit with doctors. Lajoie, who has been treated for leukemia in recent years, still intends to continue working as an adviser to the new co-GMs.

Lajoie resigned from the Sox Oct. 31, soon after Epstein did, but returned Nov. 7 as a special adviser at the urging of Lucchino. Lajoie, 71, said he agreed to a one-year contract with a provision that would allow him and the team to revisit his role every three months.

That way, he said, ''If they want me to stay, I will. If they don't feel I'm needed, I can go.

''I'm looking forward to going back because both Ben and Jed have indicated they want me there to help out. I think we share a mutual respect and understanding."

Still, the recent workload was much more demanding than what Lajoie was used to and might be more than he's physically set to handle. Before returning to Florida, Lajoie had, by his count, spent 30 of 33 days in Boston or with the club at the winter meetings. That comes close to matching the total number of days he'd spent in person with the club in the previous two years combined.

Huckaby on deck

Backup catcher Ken Huckaby has agreed to a minor league deal with the Sox that includes an invitation to spring training, according to his agent, Kevin Kohler.

Kohler said the job description, as outlined by the club to Huckaby, was: ''If you're going to make the team, you're going to have to catch [Tim Wakefield] every fifth day."

Huckaby, who has been granted free agency or released 10 times in his career, turns 35 in January but has played in only 153 career games, 35 of them last season with Toronto, when he hit .207 in 87 at-bats.

Huckaby is considering setting up shop in Melbourne, Fla., where Wakefield lives, a month or so before spring training opens to practice catching the knuckleball.

Huckaby might best be known as the player who collided with Derek Jeter at third base in Toronto on March 31, 2003, dislocating the Yankee shortstop's shoulder and sidelining him for six weeks.